Even Keytruda can't help in metastatic triple-negative breast cancer

Merck & Co’s (NYSE: MRK) Keytruda (pembrolizumab) is the world’s top-selling immuno-oncology drug with approvals across 12 different cancer types, but even it cannot help in the metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) setting.

The US pharma giant announced on Monday that the Phase III KEYNOTE-119 trial evaluating the anti-PD-1 therapy as monotherapy for the second- or third-line treatment of patients with metastatic TNBC did not meet its pre-specified primary endpoint of superior overall survival compared to chemotherapy (capecitabine, eribulin, gemcitabine or vinorelbine).

Roy Baynes, senior vice president and head of global clinical development, chief medical officer, Merck Research Laboratories, said: “Metastatic TNBC is an aggressive and challenging disease to treat, especially after progression on initial standard-of-care treatment.